New research by Hebrew University of Jerusalem details the complex mathematical calculations that animals perform to locate their next meal. Turns out that even the simple earthworm constantly computes new scent data to see if they are on right track to food. Can humans learn from these tubular hermaphrodites?

Animals often rely on their sense of smell to locate food, and the ability to consistently find food increases survival rates. But how exactly do animal brains translate scent into navigational action? Neuro-geneticist Alon Zaslaver and his team tackled this topic, with their findings published this week in Nature Communications.

Think of the game “Hot or Cold” said Zaslaver in a statement released by the university. “Imagine you’re in a huge dark house and a chocolate cake has just been taken out of the oven. To find the cake, you’ll probably sniff around to see what direction the cake scent is coming from and begin walking in that direction.”

Worms use this same strategy in their hunt for food, but with an added twist. As explained by Shoshanna Solomon in the Times of Israel, a neural cell picks up the food scent and sets the worm on a course of travel. The neural cell remains active and directs the worm to keep moving forward, as the scent intensity keeps getting stronger. If the scent is lost, the cell instructs the worm to stop and look for a better path.

Now a second neural cell activates, operating much like a your car’s navigational device, “recalculating route”  to keep the worm on the right route. This second cell calculates odor intensity, constantly computing data to detect whether the odor is getting stronger or weaker. Negative indicators prompt recalculations, positive ones reinforce forward travel.

This combination is a winning one, according to Zaslaver and Hebrew University graduate students Eyal Itskovits and Rotem Ruach. The two-part system of charting a course based on an initial scent measurement and then conducting followup checks to validate progress towards goal is a smart and effective method in the search for food, they said.

“These worms teach us an important lesson,” Zaslaver said, “When looking to solve a problem, a quick solution is often attractive. However, we need a backup system in place that monitors whether we are indeed moving in the ‘right’ direction, even if that new path differs from the one we originally set out on.”

Image: C. elegans worm performing a math calculation by Alon Zaslaver/Hebrew University

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Most people in the Middle East, however; due to chronic water scarcities, have seldom seen this little squiggly creature that is often found in home gardens in Europe and North America.

Known as the common redworm or earthworm, these amazing creatures are one of Mother Nature’s  biological wonders for eating their way through organic waste.

The value of this little creature in breaking down and consuming garbage has led Egypt to turn to earthworms to save its environment by literally eating their way through mountains of organic waste products.

The idea of using redworms to consume left-over food wastes, paper products and other organic based items has inspired an Israeli agritech firm, Agrolan to sell red worm colonies to people as a green way to rid them of organic garbage as well as produce valuable compost material for gardens.

Make worm-led compost

You can always get chickens to eat your organic waste, like Karin does at her city chicken coop. But if you don’t have space for chickens or goats, earthworms, the red variety is a perfect way to make your own factory for rich, nutrient compost.

Agrolan sells earthworms for about $16 a box. They also sell  all kinds of agtech equipment;  including advanced drip irrigation systems, sensors for plants,  and weather monitoring devices.

The introduction of redworms for a greener way to dispose of food wastes is a new concept for Agrolan,
which grows and sells them to people who want a more environmentally friendly way to rid themselves of garbage while producing  compost for home gardens.

“Raising worms is an educational experience that enriches the whole family; and of course they make an important contribution to the environment,  eating unwanted household trash and providing a natural source of compost,”  says Agrolan CEO Yehuda Glikman.

For a modest price Agrolan will deliver a small container “batch” of red worms, which are enough for the purchasers to start their own worm bed. Glickman adds that the worms should be kept in a dark, moist place, preferably in a clear plastic container so children can better watch the worms grow.

A worm population can double in size in a three month period. In addition to producing compost their excrement, the worms also produce liquids that are good for the earth environment they are introduced into.

More about composting and using animals to eat garbage:

Cairo Sustainably Manages Garbage with Unionized Pigs and Rag Pickers
Egypt turns to earthworms to save its environment
Make Greener Teens Through Composting

Image of worms from Shutterstock

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